Hello, Mother

Wolves moved silently through the woods.

They were shadows given form, their paws pressing into the snow with barely a sound. The cold air carried the scent of pine and frost. The trees stood like silent sentinels, their branches heavy with snow, their shadows stretching long across the white ground, blocking the rays of the sun.

A huge wolf led the small group, his silver-black fur blending with the darkness of the forest. The crescent moon-shaped mark on his forehead was visible even in the light. Noctis moved with a predator’s grace, his eyes scanning the path ahead, his massive body coiled with restrained power.

Beside him, a black wolf ran with silver eyes. Yuma’s gaze was unseeing, but her other senses were razor-sharp. She could hear the distant crunch of boots on snow, the low murmur of voices, the steady rhythm of an army on the move. She could smell the sweat of the Enclave warriors.

It was a small group, but they were powerful. Each wolf had been chosen for this mission—the fastest, the strongest, the most ruthless. They were the first strike, the opening move in a war that would decide everything.

They had just reached the border between the North and the West when Noctis growled lowly.

The sound was barely audible, a vibration that traveled through the snow and into the bones of the wolves around him. It was a warning, a signal. They dispersed immediately, fanning out to different points. Their movements were silent.

Noctis continued forward, his massive form moving through the snow. Ahead of him, the Enclave warriors marched in loose formation, their armour glinting in the pale light. They were confident, relaxed, unaware of the death that waited for them. Some of them were laughing, their voices carrying through the cold air. Others were silent, their eyes fixed on the path ahead. None of them noticed the shadows gathering in the trees.

Then…

A warrior turned, pointed toward Noctis, and screamed.

But the sound was cut short as an arrow pierced his skull, punching through his helmet and emerging from the other side. He crumpled to the ground, dead before he even knew what had hit him.

The warriors around him froze, their eyes wide with shock. For a moment, no one moved. They stared at their fallen comrade, at the arrow protruding from his head, at the blood that was already spreading across the ground.

Then chaos erupted.

“It’s an ambush!” someone shouted.

And just like that, arrows began pouring in from the trees, from the bushes, from every direction. The warriors couldn’t pinpoint exactly where they were coming from. One moment they were standing, the next they were falling, their bodies riddled with shafts that seemed to materialize from the darkness itself.

“We’re under attack!” another warrior cried.

An arrow flew through his open mouth, and dark veins spread across his face before he collapsed. The poison was fast, merciless. Within seconds, his body was still.

Noctis sat down.

He watched the chaos unfold with the detached interest of a spectator at a play. His massive form was still, his eyes scanning the panicking warriors as they screamed and fell. He licked one of his paws, the gesture almost casual, as if he were watching something mildly amusing rather than a slaughter.

The warriors began to realize the weapons were poisoned.

The dark veins spreading across their faces confirmed it, along with the way their bodies convulsed and fell. Some of them tried to fight back, swinging their swords blindly at the shadows. But there was nothing to hit. The attackers were invisible, hidden in the trees, impossible to pin down.

“How do they know?” one warrior screamed, his voice high with panic. “How do they know we’re here? Have we been betra…”

He never got an answer.

An arrow took him in the throat, and he joined his companions in death.

—

At the back of the Enclave column, Victoria’s carriage came to a halt.

She had been reclining against the cushioned seat, her eyes half-closed, when she heard the commotion. Her hand went to the window, pulling the curtain aside. The shouts were growing louder, the screams more frantic. She could smell blood in the air.

“What’s happening?” she demanded.

Her driver turned, his face pale.

“Luna, we’re under attack. The warriors are falling.”

Victoria’s eyes narrowed.

Without another word, she stepped out of the carriage.

An arrow flew past her, close enough that she felt the wind of its passage against her cheek. It embedded itself in the ground near her feet.

Her eyes narrowed as she looked down at it.

A piece of parchment was tied to the shaft.

She bent down, her movements unhurried, and retrieved the arrow. She untied the parchment with care, unfolding it with steady hands.

But then her face twisted with rage.

The words were simple, but they cut deeper than any blade.

Hello, Mother.

Victoria’s eyes blazed with fury. Her hands clenched around the parchment, crumpling it into a tight ball. She knew who had sent this. She knew who was responsible.

She turned toward her warriors, her voice cold and sharp.

“The war begins now. Those demons from the North have found us. We must take them down immediately.”

The warriors around her straightened, their fear replaced by resolve. They had been caught off guard, but they were still Enclave. They would not be beaten so easily.

Victoria turned and climbed back into her carriage.

Selith was already waiting, her hunched frame silhouetted against the dim light.

“Call the beasts,” Victoria commanded. “Now.”

Selith didn’t argue. She bowed her head and began muttering, the words low and guttural, ancient words that had not been spoken aloud in centuries. The air in the carriage grew heavy, thick with power.

—

Meanwhile, Noctis remained still.

He heard the howl first from the direction of the South.

Then another from the East.

He rose to his feet, his massive body uncoiling with fluid grace.

He lifted his head, his jaws parting.

And he howled.

The sound echoed through the trees, through the snow. It was a call to battle, a declaration of war.

The other wolves howled too.

The battle had begun.